Chinese mining of iron, greenstone, silver and gold in pre-Maori New Zealand
Why were the Chinese in New Zealand and what kept them there?
New Zealand is a source of great mineral wealth
Research into the various carbon datings of a number of mining sites, both disused and active in several locations on South Island reveal New Zealand’s enormous mineral wealth and one that the Chinese were keen to exploit. It also reveals how mining operations were active in New Zealand from 226 BC / 19 AD to around 1700-1725 AD. The date of the Maori invading South Island is debatable but interestingly a recent article in a New Zealand newspaper cited how the present-day Maori believe they first arrived on South Island in 1725. Mining in South Island was long established before then. The Chinese mined iron, green stone, silver – but mainly gold.
Iron is a mineral found plentifully in China. The Chinese would therefore not be too excited by the mining of iron in New Zealand. It would however have been mined in order to create mining implements for the gold, silver and green stone mines. It would also have been mined to make domestic cooking utensils. The mining of iron in New Zealand was also necessary in the making of new alloys of iron with minerals not found in China. The manufacture of steel from cast iron was first done in China in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC – 9 AD) 2000 years before this was achieved in the west. More research needs to be done into the technical aspects of this historical mining colony.
New Zealand’s rivers on the East coast provided a large network of water transport to aid the mining. The Rakaia, Waitaki, Rangitata, Clarence and Wairau rivers on the east coast were most probably used to transport the gold mined near the Alps down to the sea for export to China. Each river begins near disused mine workings, and ends at the sea near supposed ””moa hunter settlements””.
The Clarence River valley would have provided access right across the country to Nelson for early settlers. The West coast of South Island is also rich in Gold and Green stone and was doubtless mined as well.
Any helpful comments would be much appreciated in assisting the research into long-forgotten pre-Maori mining operations in New Zealand.
